This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Search warrants made public this week offer a little more detail into the investigation of the fatal shooting of a Draper police sergeant.
Timothy Troy Walker, 34, allegedly gunned down Sgt. Derek Johnson on Sept. 1, as well as turned the gun on himself. Though Walker survived, he was unable to speak. He had suffered a gunshot wound to the left side of his jaw.
Instead, Walker wrote notes, according to the search warrants. On Labor Day, the day after the shooting, two officers were guarding the hospitalized Walker and talking about "how they were going to get paid with it being a holiday," according to a warrant. Walker wrote notes to the detectives that read "tell the police thanks" and "sorry it's a holiday," the warrant adds.
He wrote another note that a detective said was hard to read, but "looked like Mr. Walker was asking if he killed them." The detective told Walker that he was not able to speak with him about that.
Police ultimately collected a stack of notes that Walker had written, according to the warrant. His notes to medical staff indicated "he does not want to be resuscitated and expressed remorse for what had happened," Unified police wrote in a previously released search warrant.
The warrants released this week sought access to a storage unit that Walker and his girlfriend Tracy Vaillancourt rented in Sandy. The manager of the business told investigators that the couple frequented their unit almost daily, and were there the day before the shooting, according to the warrant.
Johnson, 32, was in a marked police vehicle when he stopped at 13200 S. Fort St. and noticed Walker standing outside his Volvo on Sept. 1, according to charging documents. Johnson pulled up to see if he could help, but Walker, who was allegedly under the influence of methamphetamine at the time, allegedly shot Johnson through the open front passenger side window of the sergeant's police vehicle.
Vaillancourt, 34, was also allegedly shot by Walker during the episode. Police said a bullet entered her right shoulder and lodged in the center of her chest. She survived.
Vaillancourt has been charged with two counts of obstructing justice, both second-degree felonies, for allegedly giving police inaccurate accounts of the events.
Walker has been charged with aggravated murder and attempted homicide, both first-degree felonies, three counts of felony discharge of a firearm, and possession of a firearm by a restricted person, all third-degree felonies.
Both defendants are scheduled to appear again before 3rd District Judge Mark Kouris on Dec. 3 for a status hearing.
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